Conlin’s magic seals 30th title for Royal Belfast Academical Institution

RBAI 14 Wallace HS 10

It was a nervy enough final but Royal Belfast Academical Institution had the greater composure and went on to lift the Danske Bank Ulster Schools' Cup for the 30th outright time after overcoming a powerful challenge from Wallace High School.

The key moment of the game came in the second half when Inst, after just losing the lead to the Lisburn school, immediately hit back with a stunning solo run from winger Jack Conlin which saw him burst through to score under the posts.

With TJ Morris then converting, Inst snatched the lead back at 14-10 and Conlin’s 57th minute moment of magic was how it ended despite some strong but ultimately inaccurate attacking from Wallace. It was their fifth final appearance and also their fifth defeat.

Inst led 7-5 at half-time after having missed two early penalties but, from their first attack of note, Wallace took the lead with an excellent try from winger Connor Guiney after 25 minutes.

The score went unconverted by Andrew Cardosi and then right at the end of normal time, Inst hit back with skipper Lewis McNamara making the line after Wallace had lost a lineout near their own line.

This time Morris atoned for his first two penalty misses by nailing the conversion.

Eye-catching run

Though Wallace – whose scrum looked dominant throughout – took the lead again in the 54th minute after a great burst from number eight Max Trouton, the try was unconverted and their 10-7 lead was rapidly overtaken by Conlin’s eye-catching run.

Morris’s conversion pushed Inst four ahead and though Wallace cranked up the pressure in the remainder of the game they just couldn’t get their lineout working properly.

After a final, desperate Wallace maul was held up just short of Inst’s line, the Belfast school cleared the danger and the late siege was lifted.

RBAI: A McGregor, J Finnegan, C McLaughlin, J Hume, J Conlin, M Lowry, TJ Morris; J Chambers, R McComiskey, J Dickson, G Bell, C Wallace, L McNamara (capt), E Harbinson, M Mairs. Replacements: C Reid, N Saulters, D Wallace, A Thompson, P Douglas, M Young, P Dolgahan, B McGavock.

WALLACE HS: P Hylands, C Guiney, A Cardosi, R Wilson, B Finlay, N Kilpatrick, J Stewart; J Blair, B Pentland, A Weir, P Ferguson, G Malley, S Moore (capt), A Irvine, M Trouton. Replacements: M Smyth, G Dillon, N Woods, T Baird, G Chan, A Heaps, I Nzewi, Adam Black.

Referee: Mark Patton